College is a crazy place, it’s where we attempt to put together all these pieces that will become the rest of our lives. Sometimes the puzzle changes, the pieces that you thought originally were already where they needed to be have to be moved, they don’t belong anymore. However, no matter what I’ve had a constant piece that doesn’t budge: my best friend.

Let me elaborate: when I say "best friend," I mean actual ride-or-die, front-line, no-questions-asked, finish-each-other’s-sentences, my-kids-will-call-her-Aunt, can-on-command-name-every-single-boy-that-has-done-me-dirty (and equally hates them), Meredith-Christina, knows-my-Chipotle-and -Starbucks order, my-mom-references-her-as-a-third-daughter, would-pull-hair-for-me-in-a-fight, my-future-husband-will-know-we're-a-package-deal (pray for him), can-define-my-mood-with-a-simple-eye-glance type of best friend.

She is the person that has become my person. All those memes about walking in on your best friend who has killed someone and you have two options: help them hide the body or run. My best friend would have the garbage bag and bleach in a second, that unwavering loyalty that everyone craves I found that.

She’s the only one that will tell me if my eyeliner is a little too crazy for a casual Tuesday dinner, she’s the only one that calls me out for wearing shorts when I need to shave my legs (you’ve been there, too), she’s the only one that has seen me completely broken down and she doesn’t walk away. She gets me the ice cream and we talk it out.

We’ve both grown with each other. Sometimes that growth can make you drift, but for us, it has allowed us to become even closer. Life sometimes sucks, it sometimes actually feels like you’ve had the wind knocked out of you. I’ve come to learn that it is imperative to have someone in your corner who can not stand next to you when you’re shining, but that helps you when you fall. It is imperative that you have someone that is never competing with you, but is only pushing you to achieve. It is imperative that you have someone that is proud of what you’re doing, but that can tell you when you’ve made a mistake.

I thank God for communal bathrooms and the 14th floor because that’s where I met my best friend.